Formerly Liberty Chapel. The church originated in 1786 when Bishop Francis Asbury organized a
preaching station on the Little Pee Dee River, and it is located across the road from the old
Stackhouse home. The congregation worshipped under a brush arbor until a meetinghouse was built on
the site where T.F. Stackhouse later built his dwelling. As settlers living at a distance brought
their families in wagons to the services, often remaining over at least one night, the location
became known as the Gaddy Camp Ground. Before 1803, the church was relocated near Harllee's Bridge,
just south of the Evander Bethea home. The name of Liberty Chapel was adopted prior to September 17, 1814,
when Philip Bethea designated it as such in his will. Bethea was not only a staunch churchman but also
a friend of Asbury's and bequeathed a share of his estate to the church. The charter members of the
chapel included Herod, Isaac, and Tristram Stackhouse, Jesse Proctor, and John Roper.

As the new site eventually proved unsatisfactory, the church was relocated at Harlleesville.
Presumably Thomas Harllee donated the land for the building, as in 1823 he deeded an acre of land
to be used for a church, and in 1844, his son, Thomas Harllee, Jr. donated land adjacent to the
chapel property for a school. The new location also became known as the site of the Harlleesville
Camp Meetings, which continued annually until 1848.

In 1871, a new building was erected at the present location in the town of Little Rock, the
new name for Harlleesville. At that time, the name of the organization was changed to St. Paul's
Methodist Episcopal Church, with W.C. Power as its first minister. The church continued its
program and the congregation was augmented in 1936 when the Beulah Methodist Episcopal Church
disbanded and its membership joined that of St. Paul's.
--Source: Stokes, "The History of Dillon County, South Carolina"

The following newspaper extract was contributed by Helen Moody, 16 July 2001: